This study by the Cetelem observatory, carried out in 16 countries, also shows that it is the French who are the most skeptical of electric cars.
Motorists are a little lost, even annoyed by the regulatory developments, motorization and pricing of electric cars, reveals a study* from the Cetelem observatory, published Tuesday November 7 and entitled “The motorist in the fog” . Six out of ten people think it is difficult to buy a car and it is the French who are the most skeptical about electric cars, shows this study carried out in 16 countries and among 15,000 people.
While the sale of new cars with gasoline or diesel engines will be banned from 2035 within the European Union, many motorists remain very reluctant to buy an electric car. Among Europeans who wish to buy a car, 41% are still considering the possibility of switching to a model with a gasoline or diesel engine and only 27% say they want to choose an electric car as a priority.
A lack of information and the obstacle of the purchase price
In detail, one in two people first point out a lack of information concerning the new regulations regarding motorization and traffic. A vagueness particularly felt in Japan, but also in Norway. Conversely, the Italians as well as the Chinese and the Spanish consider themselves clear on this question.
Faced with the risks of power cuts and the increase in the price of electricity, the French are wondering if the electric car is the right choice. They are not the only ones, 62% of Europeans doubt that electricity production is sufficient to meet the needs of electric cars.
The purchase price is another obstacle for just over one in two Europeans. The gap is still significant between gasoline cars and electric cars. These reluctances could benefit Chinese models whose quality-price ratio is generally considered superior to European models.
*Methodology: this survey was conducted by Harris Interactive from June 28 to July 17, 2023 in 16 countries: Germany, Austria, Belgium, China, Spain, United States, France, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, United Kingdom and Turkey. In total, 15,000 people were interviewed online (CAWI collection method). These people aged 18 to 65 come from national samples representative of each country. The representativeness of the sample is ensured by the quota method (sex, age). 3,000 interviews were carried out in France and 800 in each of the other countries.